Trump confirms covert plane switch over Iran threat

US President Donald Trump has confirmed that security officials secretly moved him off Air Force One in Turkey last month after receiving information about a possible Iranian threat, defending an extraordinary operation that concealed his whereabouts while another presidential aircraft continued towards Britain.
Trump said he followed instructions from the US Secret Service and military during the July 8 operation after attending a NATO summit in Ankara. He indicated that he did not seek detailed information about the threat and left decisions over his movements to the agencies responsible for protecting him. “I go by Secret Service and the military,” Trump said, adding that he faced numerous threats.

The operation involved Trump boarding the legacy blue-and-white Air Force One in view of television cameras before quietly leaving the aircraft minutes later. He was moved in an airport catering vehicle to a smaller US Air Force C-32A, a modified Boeing 757 used for senior government travel. That aircraft then carried him to Britain.

Journalists, White House personnel and support staff remained aboard the Boeing 747 they believed was carrying the president. The aircraft continued towards Britain as part of the security deception. Trump’s whereabouts were not disclosed publicly, and many people accompanying the presidential delegation were unaware that he had switched planes.

The elaborate precautions were prompted by intelligence concerning a credible Iranian threat against Trump as tensions between Washington and Tehran remained acute. Turkey shares a border with Iran, and the flight took place after renewed US military action against Iran following the breakdown of efforts to end the conflict between the two countries.

Trump said the smaller aircraft might actually have faced greater danger than the presidential Boeing 747 because anyone attempting to target him could have anticipated that security officials would move him away from the more recognisable aircraft. He portrayed the decision as one made by his protective detail rather than by himself.

The secrecy surrounding the journey has also raised questions because the White House publicly indicated at the time that Trump was travelling from Turkey to Britain aboard Air Force One. The details of the aircraft change remained undisclosed for weeks, unlike many previous covert presidential journeys where secrecy was lifted once the immediate danger had passed.

The episode has drawn scrutiny over the treatment of journalists and other personnel left aboard the aircraft used in the deception. Presidential press pools traditionally remain close to the president so they can independently document his movements and actions, including during security emergencies. Previous presidents have undertaken secret journeys to war zones, but such operations have generally included selected journalists or subsequently disclosed the president’s true movements.

Trump’s journey was also unusual because three major government aircraft were involved. He had travelled to Ankara aboard a Boeing 747-8 originally provided by Qatar and converted for presidential use. Questions had already been raised about whether the aircraft had all the defensive capabilities available on the older presidential Boeing 747s.

When leaving Ankara, Trump publicly boarded the older Air Force One before being transferred through the catering vehicle to the C-32A. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also travelled aboard the smaller aircraft to Britain. The larger jet carrying journalists and White House staff flew separately and later reached RAF Mildenhall in England.

After arriving in Britain, Trump was moved back onto the legacy presidential aircraft without the switch being publicly disclosed. He later appeared before cameras descending from that plane, before transferring to the newer 747-8 for his return flight to Washington. The sequence maintained the public impression that he had travelled from Turkey aboard the older Air Force One.

The incident reflects persistent security concerns surrounding Trump amid threats linked to Iran. US authorities have for years tracked potential Iranian plots against current and former officials, with those concerns intensifying amid military confrontation and the deaths of senior Iranian political and military figures. Trump has repeatedly said he considers himself a prominent target of Tehran.